1/ Biggest loser: wasabi radish. 

I planted the seeds outside in raised garden beds in full sun in late March and they immediately bolted. They produced wispy little bolts that only had one or two seed pods. They continued to grow and bolt and grow and bolt. I’m now on my fourth or fifth generation. I’m not going to try these again, but I’m sure they’ll continue to reseed themselves in my garden. I’d occasionally use a seed pod but they’re not worth the space they take up. 

 2/ pink soba and achocha. 

These grew really well, but nothing really pollinated them. I got no fruit from the achocha even though they grew to be  monstrous vines. Both the soba and achocha were growing adjacent to monarda and globe amaranth which are very popular with pollinators. 

There are just a few viable seeds on the pink soba and they reseed themselves but not enough to harvest as food. 

 3/ Beit aleph cucumber

Downy mildew issues, struggled with heat. I planted these and raised garden beds in the spring in full sun. Produced but always looked pathetic. 

Taste is ok. 

 4/ Rat tail radish and watermelon radish. I would grow these again. 

I planted these in raised garden beds in late March and in pots with tropical trees. The ones grown with the trees grew the best. 

Rat tail needs shelter from midday sun. Many of the watermelon radish bolted but I still got small tubers. I planted these this fall too. 

 6/ eggplant. I will not grow these again. 

I started these indoors in early and planted out of doors in late spring. This year I grew the Kami eggplants. The plant themselves grew fine, but the raccoons destroyed the fencing that was protecting them, and I’d find half-eaten eggplants all over the yard. It’s not worth the space and effort if you’re only going to harvest one or two fruits off of multiple plants. 

 7/ winged bean vs winged pea 

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) did great, winged pea (Lotus tetrogonolobus) did not. 

The bean is an autumn fruiting bean. I planted in late spring and it grew well in heat and held on to its fruit in tropical storms. Leaves are edible. It must be well-protected from rabbits. 

The peas did not survive the heat. And where they were sheltered in part sun, they got really stippled by insects. 

 8/ I do not grow tomatoes bc of pests, diseases, nutritional demands, water hogs, animals stealing the fruit, not doing well in tropical storms and hurricanes. They’re just too demanding. 

I grow the native ground cherry instead. Physalis grisea, they have a tomato flavor after heating. They do not need extra water or fertilizer and produce well. Survives storms. May look battered but keeps producing. I cultivate these for personal use and give the seeds away for food security programs. 

 9/ Tepary beans. Will grow again.

I never watered these. The first generation I started in late March didn’t survive but the ones in May did and grew and produced well. I had them growing as companion plants to Titan sunflower and they grew up the stalks. These need to be protected from rabbits.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/144/949/712/637/841/original/5178829816a6b133.jpeg 

 10/ Titan sunflower. I will not grow these again. 

They grew fine, but they didn’t produce many viable seeds for some reason, even though they were well-visited by pollinators. It might be because they weren’t grown in very good soil and got no fertilizer (the Tepary did fine with the same conditions). They took a major beating in the storms. I never watered them except to start the seedlings when there was no rain. 

 11/ Miracle berry. Consistently producing perennial. 

The fruit on the seed is scant. But it produces a lot of berries spring-fall and doesn’t want a lot of fertilizer. It wants a lot of perlite and sand in its soil so it is well-draining. Full sun to part shade. Bring indoors in winter. I do water it since it’s in a pot but it isn’t a water hog.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/144/987/311/845/392/original/b94273a930de7f98.jpeg 

 12/ Katuk. Consistent producing perennial. 

I use this plant a lot. I cut a couple of sprigs with leaves on them for salad nearly every single day. Can also be cooked. It needs to be brought indoors in winter. Since it’s in a pot, it does need to be fertilized occasionally with nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Can use compost or grow beans as companions for this. Not a major water hog. Survived tropical storms ok. Gets eaten by rabbits so needs to be caged. 

 13/ Sissoo spinach, consistent short-lived perennial. 

Can be grown indoors. Needs a bit of shade. It really thrives well in heat. Doesn’t sustain any damage in tropical storms or hurricanes. Does need nitrogen. I grew beans in a pot with them and the spinach did well with them. Not a water hog, just watch for them getting a little wilty. 

Propagates by cloning. A few sprigs should be cloned once a year to replace old ones that eventually give out. 

 14/ Bloody dock sorrel. Consistent short lived perennial. 

This one also doesn’t get insect damaged (besides katuk and sissoo). I grow these in pots with tropical trees and it does fine. It’s small and not a heavy producer so I only harvest a few leaves a day. Plants are grown with beans and trees. 

 15/ Baobab, consistent perennial, does get bugs indoors. 

My plants are still young, so they’re not heavy producers. The plants will get aphids when you bring them inside in winter. I manage these by unleashing hordes of ladybugs into the sunroom where they are overwintering.

The tree doesn’t produce fruit until it’s at least 15 years old, so I am only using the leaves for now. 

 16/ mitsuba. Biennial, reseeds itself. 

I grow these in pots with tropical trees. They get aphids indoors so I collect seeds in Fall and pull the plants out when I bring the trees indoors to overwinter. 

When they are out of doors, they don’t get eaten by bugs, but the bunnies will go after them so the trees need to be caged. They tolerate the heat well and don’t get damaged by tropical storms. 

 17/ Boehmeria cylindrica. Perennial native plant. 

Needs shade to part-shade, leaves are edible, taste like spinach. Doesn’t need extra water or fertilizer. Since it grows in sheltered places, it isn’t affected by storms. 

 19/ Shiso

These get weedy and invasive. They don’t need extra water or fertilizer and grow really well. Survived the heat fine and didn’t notice any damage from tropical storms. Rabbits leave it alone and there’s not much insect damage. 

 20/ Huazontle 

Survives fine in tropical storms. Last year I used these mostly for flower buds and seeds (can be eaten like quinoa) but I mostly used the leaves for salads this year. I grow it with my guamachil trees (bean trees) and only have three plants this year. That’s all I really needed. Doesn’t require more water than the rain. 

This plant can get weedy. It’s native to North America, but not on the East Coast. 

 21/ white bitter melon 

This might be an acquired taste, but it is more mild than green bitter melon. I grow this as a companion plant to Nkruma Tenten okra. It climbs up and trellises on the okra. It is grown in deep raised beds and in a sheltered place from wind. It gets mostly sun. Bugs don’t eat the leaves, but pollinators visit the flowers. It doesn’t get squash vine borer. I’ve tried growing it in other places, but it only seems to really like growing with the okra. 

 22/ I do not grow pumpkins, watermelons, or squash. Squash vine borer is a major problem and all my neighbors are plagued by it. I think too many people are trying to grow these cucurbits and it’s exploding the SVB population. BT spray doesn’t work. 

Also rats go after the watermelon, I never get any. The melons get chewed up before they’re a few inches round. 

 23/ Guamachil, bean tree

It hasn’t fruited yet but wow, it survives hurricanes like a champ. Not a water hog. Naturally nitrogen fixing. Leaves aren’t edible though: sting the tongue and are medicinal. Pest resistant, bugs don’t eat it. Bring indoors in winter. 

 24/ ice cream bean tree.

It’s supposedly fruits after three years, but it didn’t fruit for me. It does poorly in tropical storms. The branches are fairly brittle and will snap easily. I have it in a sheltered place from wind, and it gets part sun. 

 25/ acerola 

Does well in heat, survive storms like a champ but it’s a bit of a water hog if you want fruit. Also, animals will go after the fruit as well. It needs to be brought indoors if temperatures go below freezing. 

 26/ jackfruit and kuai muk 

Both of these artocarpus do well in heat and survive storms pretty well. Not water hogs. Mine are grown in mostly sun. Bring the jackfruit in when temps go below 40F and the kuai muk if below 32F. 

Jackfruit leaf is edible (see pinned thread) but kuai muk is not. Kuai muk will make friends with beans when grown in the same pot but the jackfruit’s roots uses up all the space. 

 27/ white sapote 

Not a water hog, but doesn’t do well in high winds. Needs to be sheltered. Will make friends and share its pot with bean plants and small vegetables like dwarf bok choi, chives, green onion, etc. 

Drag indoors if temperatures go below freezing. 

 28/ peanut butter fruit 

This does not do well in hurricanes and in storms. It will get extensive leaf damage and lose all its leaves, but will grow back again. It needs a sheltered location from wind. It fruits from spring till fall and you need to bring it indoors if temperatures go below 40F. Birds and slugs will eat the fruit. Watered down dish soap can protect the fruits from slugs. 

It does require fertilizer. It is a bit of a water hog and does not share a pot with other plants. 

 29/ pitangatuba 

Survives tropical storms and hurricanes very well but hail will destroy the fruit and flowers. It fruits consistently from spring to fall when it is mature enough. It does require a bit of fertilizer if you want to have consisten fruit. It does not share a pot with other plants, the roots are pervasive. Bring indoors if temps go below freezing. I water this plant everyday in summer but less in cooler months. Pest resistant. Cage plant to keep animals from stealing the fruit. 

 30/ Jamaican cherry 

Consistently fruits from spring to fall, and sometimes in winter if it gets enough light. It needs to be brought in when temperatures get below 40F at night. It is a water hog and it does need fertilizer if you want to have a lot of fruit. Provided fertilizer, it is a heavy fruiter and is popular with the pollinators. Does not do well in high winds, needs a sheltered location with a lot of sun. 

 31/ kale and fennel 

In previous years, I would net all of my kale and fennel to protect from butterflies but I don’t have time anymore, so I just leave it to get chewed down by butterflies. When temps get cooler and the butterflies are finished for the season, that’s when I harvest fennel and kale. I use regular compost for fertilizer and grow beans in the same bed. I also grow kale in pots with tropical trees. Both plants reseed themselves, they are no-effort plants. Do ok in storms. 

 32/ Jaboticabas 

I have so many species that I can’t list them all. What I can say about them is that they do fine in tropical storms and hurricanes. They require a bit of extra water and they don’t share their pots with other plants. They do fine in hot temperatures. Bring indoors when below freezing. Insects and rabbits leave the leaves alone. Squirrels and birds will eat the fruit so they need to be caged. 

 33/ Pouteria 

I have many species of this genera. They are easy to grow, and the only pests they get are when occasionally katydids will nibble on the leaves. They share their pots with small vegetables. They aren’t water hogs. They survive well in high winds. Bring indoors when temps go below freezing. So easy. 

 34/ Eugenias 

I have many species of this genera. What I can say about them is that they don’t share their pots with small vegetables (grumichama is an exception). They survive OK in high winds. Once mature, don’t have heavy water demands. They do require fertilizer if you want a lot of fruit. Birds and animals will eat the fruit so they need to be caged. I haven’t noticed much insect damage besides katydid nibbles. No aphids or scale. 

 35/ Guava 

Water hog. The leaves don’t get a lot of wind damage in high winds but the pot will get knocked over. I only got one fruit this year because the squirrels stole most of them. Needs fertilizer to get fruit. The fruit is nice but I find the plant is a lot of trouble to keep because of the squirrels taking the fruit and it needing a lot of water and fertilizer. 

 36/  citrus 

I’ve lost two citrus trees due to extreme high heat (centennial kumquat) and rodents chewing at the base the trunk (pink lemon). I protect my trees with cages now and grow them sheltered from midday sun. They do not have any pests besides rats taking the fruit. They will share pots with bean plants. They are heavy nitrogen feeders so this helps. Some people have told me that their’s get scale, but this hasn’t happened to me. Citrus is not a water hog. 

 37/ Peppers 

I grow madhatters, ají charapita and lesya. I use the madhatters the most. MH and AC are prolific but need fertilizer. I have several MH growing in a half barrel. I tried growing sugar snap pole peas in with them, but the snow peas got downy mildew. Next year I will try beans instead. MH can live up to 6yrs, need to be cut down (to go dormant) and brought indoors when temps go below freezing. MH and AC are pest resistant unlike the lesya (aphids!). 

 38/ Annonas 

I have several of this genus. They do not have heavy water demands and they share their pots with small vegetables. They do alright in high winds. They might lose their leaves, but will quickly grow back. I have not noticed any pest issues. Their leaves, bark and seed have a natural pesticide. Some species are quite cold sensitive. I do not recommend guanabana bc of this. They tolerate high heat very well. 

 39/ Avocado and engkala 

I don’t recommend these. Avocados get aphids very badly when brought indoors in the winter. Engkala do not but they are very cold sensitive. Neither of them do well in high winds. Their leaves are rather fragile and get ripped. Rather than just drop the leaves and produce new ones, they just hang on and look terrible until you cut the branch back. Engkala will share its pot with small veg. Both do ok in high heat. 

 40/ Syzygium 

I have a few of this genus. They can tolerate high winds OK. They thrive in hot temperatures. They’re not too demanding with water. They get fairly large and don’t share their pot with small veg. They need to be brought indoors when temps go below freezing. They get a little bit of scale during winter when indoors. Not too bad. My rose apple got badly damaged by rats chewing the base of the trunk, but it came back fine. 

 41/ 

I grow two okra species. Abelmoschus callei (Nkruma tenten okra) and esculentus (Okinawa pink okra)

Other years I’ve had bad aphid problems, but this year, almost nothing. The Nkruma Tenten is grown in a place sheltered from high winds. The pink okra is shorter and tolerates wind better. Both of them need protection from bunnies or they will be chewed down. And both are in raised beds. Produce reliably, aren’t needy, tolerate extreme heat well. Can be companions with other veg. 

 42/ Melothria pendula, creeping cucumber 

Small delicate vine with tiny cucumbers. Tolerates extreme heat and high winds well. Doesn’t have extra water or fertilizer needs bc it is a native plant. Sun to part-sun. Melons are only edible when light green. 

 43/ Diospyros 

Black sapote can tolerate high winds but other species have brittle branches. All the species I grow (nigra, lotus, virginiana) tolerate extreme heat well. The leaves can get nibbled on by little black flies but trees tolerate it. They can have small veg growing in the same large pot. Isn’t needy with water or fertilizer. Black sapote should be dragged indoors if below freezing. 

 44/ Asimina triloba, pawpaw 

Native tree. Can tolerate high winds and extreme heat very well. Has a natural pesticide in its seeds, bark and roots, as well as trace amounts in the skin of the fruit. Easy to grow doesn’t need water besides the rain. It’s not self-fertile, need two trees. 

 45/ Feijoa 

Very easy to grow. Tolerates high winds and extreme heat well. Isn’t needy with water, I rarely water it. I grow mine in pots bc of the potential for flooding and they tolerate small veg growing in the pot with them. 

 46/ strawberries 

I grow both native and cultivated varieties, and I rarely get to have any fruit because of animals finding a way to get at them. Most of my strawberry plugs are caged but that doesn’t stop the animals. Oh well. 

Easy to grow, tolerates high winds and extreme heat, but most of mine are sheltered from midday sun. 

 47/ various herbs, plant and forget

Oregano, Virginia mountain mint (both species), chives, nodding onions, green onions, ramps (go dormant late spring), monarda, feverfew, rando mints, peppercress, bokoboko spinach, culantro

High winds, extreme heat don’t get these down. All of the above can reseed themselves and get weedy. I don’t water any of the above. They just get the rain. 

I grow culantro in pots with tropical trees bc it’s a biennial that will die in freezing temps. 

 48/ dwarf moringa and loroco 

Moringa and loroco do well in extreme heat, moringa does not do well in high winds (loroco is fine). They aren’t especially needy about water but do need fert. They need to be brought indoors if temps go below 45F. They both get buggy indoors. Aphids, white fly and spider mite. I don’t recommend growing these plants for this reason. 

 49/ curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) 

Does fine in extreme heat and high winds but can get really infested with scale both indoors and out. You need to really love curry leaf to grow this plant. It isn’t needy about water or fert. It needs very well draining soil (full of perlite). Won’t share a pot with other veg but wouldn’t dare with all the scale. 

 50/ Garcinia 

I grow several in this genus and the only one to grow big is the achacha (Garcinia humilis). The others have stayed tiny, year after year. In the northern hemisphere, the achacha blooms in winter so keep that in mind when it comes to sun reqs. Tolerates extreme heat well, high winds not terrible, but should be sheltered bc it doesn’t regrow leaves on a branch. Pest resistant. Can grow small veg in same pot. Bring indoors when temp gets near freezing. 

 51/ Bael fruit, Aegle marmelos 

Tolerates extreme heat and high winds well. It needs to be brought indoors when temps get near 40F. It can tolerate drought and doesn’t has heavy water demands. It does get buggy when brought indoors for winter. 

 53/ Nam Dok Mai T4 mango. 

This is an ultra dwarf mango that you can grow in a pot. I rarely water it more than what the rain gives. It will share its pot with small vegetables. It is tolerant of extreme heat and high winds, but I am growing mine slightly sheltered. It does need fert to produce fruit. Pest resistant. Keep above freezing.

I grew a champagne mango from seed, but a rat chewed it down to its base when it was two years old. That was the end of that mango. 

 54/ Chrysophyllum cainito and albidum / Gambeya albida 

Pest resistant, tolerates extreme heat well, but not high winds. The leaves get torn, they will drop and plant will produce new ones. I keep mine sheltered. Cainito will tolerate small veg grown in the same pot but albidum won’t. Don’t have high water needs and I rarely almost never water the albidum in fall/winter. Bring indoors when temps get near 40F. Need two cainito to cross-pollinate. 

 55/ Parkia biglobosa, tamarindus indica, Dialium guineense 

Three bean trees from Africa. All of them get a bit damaged in high winds. Dialium is more resilient. Dialium will share a pot with other small veg (currently pandanus, mitsuba and sissoo). All pest resistant and thrive in extreme heat. Do not have high water demands. Bring inside when temps get near freezing. 

First year, a bunny chewed down the Parkia to a stub but it came back. 

 @adfbf87b 

Thank you for this thorough accounting! We are in zone 10a, so adjusting your comments for our area. Love learning about new things to grow, and another perspective on those we do already grow. 

 56/ loquats

I have two trees and both got terribly blighted. They only had a few leaves on the branches and they looked on death’s door. So I sprayed them with a fungicide - the only time I didn’t do organic - and they came back but they look really pathetic and rough. Other people around me have lost loquats to blight. 

Loquats otherwise don’t need extra water or fert than nature. Fruit should be protected from late frosts. 

 57/ grapes 

I have two species Vitis labrusca and rotundifolia. The labrusca is supposed to be Catawba but it isn’t and the rotundifolia are native wild muscadines. Both grow without any extra water or fert. But I never get any grapes bc the animals eat all of them before they’re even ripe. The leaves of the labrusca are better for pickling and using in stews and wraps than rotundifolia bc they have more flavor and texture. R’s are a little weak and papery and too fibrous to eat raw. 

 58/ maypops Passiflora incarnata (native fruit vine)

Vines die back each year and grow again the next spring. I did a bad job this year of securing the vines on the trellis and they keep falling down in high winds so they aren’t entirely maintenance-free. They don’t get more water than nature but I do give a bit of compost in fall after they die back. Young leaves are “edible.” 

 59/ partridge berry, Mitchella repens

I grew the plants from foraged berries and they grow really well for a tiny plant but they have not flowered yet and it’s been almost two years. The leaves are rather peppery. I haven’t done anything with the leaves bc I want it to flower first. They’re growing in many different pots in different amounts of light except full sun. The shaded ones grow the most robust. I gave a little fert this summer to encourage 🌸 but no joy. No extra water than nature. 

 60/ blackberries / raspberries 

I grow native black raspberries and thornless cultivars of raspberries and blackberries. They don’t get any extra water than nature, but I do give a bit of fert. I keep the blackberries caged. It’s a dwarf variety. The raspberries are too big. I am able to get some berries off raspberries in the spring but the birds get most of them. I do use the leaves: dried/ground into powder in flours for noodles/breads or whole in tea. 

 61/ dwarf black mulberry 

I have 5 small trees. The only two that are flowering are male. When Covid first hit, I made the mistake of growing them by seed. I should have gotten a rooted cutting of a hermaphrodite. I use the leaves, dried and ground into powder for flours used in breads and noodles. It’s also nice whole dried leaf with mint for a tea. They’re a bit too grassy raw but become herbal when they dry. They get terrible spider mite if brought indoors in winter. Just don’t. 

 62/ chañar, Geoffroea decorticans

Supposedly this tree can go months without water and can tolerate temp extremes of -13C to over 40C. I started the seedlings last summer, kept them in garage over winter and this will be their 1st winter outside. 

Some insect keeps eating the leaves so I tried it. They’re a bit tasteless, kinda grassy, a little sting after a while. Bean tree, fixes N. No extra water than nature. Have been occasionally fertilizing bc I want it to grow! (Tasty fruit and seed.) 

 63/ Starfruit, Averrhoa carambola 

I shouldn’t be growing this bc my mom can’t eat it but someone gave the seeds as a 🎁 and really hyped their plant as having enormous fruit so I feel obligated. 

3yrs old. No fruit yet. It grows well. It’s sheltered from wind. I don’t water it much except if dry in summer. It will share its pot with small veg. Bring indoors when temps get near freezing. No major pests except desperate rats stripping all the leaves off in the garage last winter. 

 64/ guajilote, Parmentiera aculeata

Bean tree, fixes N. Rats keep stripping off all the leaves so I have to put it on a slick high stand. I tried the leaves and they’re really grassy. 

Only water if it gets dry. Only fert if I panic bc leaves have been stripped off. Protect from freezing temps. 

It’s years from fruiting but I hope in the meantime I can make friends with someone from MX or LaAm who can tell me how to cook with it. (The fruit is too fibrous to eat out of hand.) 

 65/ Sopadilla and caqui, Manilkara zapota and kauki 

My 2yo sopadilla got rained out last year and died but the caquis are fine and thriving. So if you live in a wetter climate, don’t bother with sopadilla. 

Caqui, only extra water if dry, I do fert bc I want it to grow. It takes yrs longer to fruit growing in cooler climates. Protect from freezing temps. No pests I’ve seen so far. Too small to judge about wind-damage. 

 66/ Theobroma bicolor, cacao and grandiflorum 

I don’t recommend growing any of these if you live in a temperate climate. Cacao is very hard to keep alive if sustained in cool temps. It did not survive in my sunroom (50F at lowest). Bicolor is the hardiest but is very sensitive to wind. All of them need well-draining soil, shouldn’t dry out but not be too wet. Princess plants, drama greens. I only keep the B and G bc the fruit is supposed to be amazing. 

 67/ Chaya, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius

For the amount of space it takes up and so little produce, I don’t really recommend growing it in a temperate climate to bring indoors in winter. No major pest issues, ok in high winds. Only water if it gets dry which isn’t very often. Leaves must be cooked so if you’re a busy person, you can’t just use it to throw it into salads. It clones very easily, just stick twig in dirt. Keep from freezing temps. Full to part sun. 

 68/ Myoga, Zingiber mioga

Got 2 small (just one leaflet each) roots last year and haven’t produced a flower this year but not surprised. Maybe next year. Doesn’t get more water than nature, it gets compost for fert. They’re sheltered and caged to protect from squirrels and so I can’t report on wind damage. It’s currently sharing a pot with jewelweed flower, tiny ginko seedling, partridge berry. Easy plant. 

 69/ Coccolaba spinescens 

The only species I have of this genus. Mostly dioecious. I’m only growing it bc it produces an absurd amount of sweet fruit when mature. Seedlings got aphids but mature plants don’t seem to have a problem. Katydids nibble on leaves. Grows well, only water when dry and that isn’t often. Protected from freezing. There is little info on cultivation. Mine is sheltered from wind and in part sun. 3yo and not flowering yet. Easy. 

 70/ Wampee, Clausena lansium

Grown from seed and a friend is going to graft better cultivars on top. Easy to grow. Seedlings suffered from squirrels tearing plants out pot. Repotted and recovered. They got spider mite indoors as seedlings in the sunroom but are pest-free out of doors. Mature plants can tolerate temps in the 20’sF. Keep seedlings from freezing. Only water if dry and that isn’t often. It’s sheltered as a seedling so can’t report wind-tolerance. 

 71/ fingersop, Meiogyne cylindrocarpa

It’s a type of an Annona but I’m singling it out bc I almost never water it in my climate. Maybe just a few times in summer. It loses leaves if it gets too damp. 3yo plant isn’t fruiting yet. Protect from freezing. It’s sheltered and in part-sun so can’t report wind-tolerance. No pests that I’ve seen. 

 72/ ramon aka Maya nut, Brosimum alicastrum 

It’s related to Artocarpus. Doesn’t like to get too wet or leaves shrivel so it rarely gets any extra water besides rain. 3yo, still not fruiting. Slow growing, shares pot with small veg. It’s very wind-tolerant even as a seedling. Keep from freezing. I have given it fertilizer bc I’m a bit frustrated with its slow growth in comparison with jackfruit and kuai muk that are same age but 15ft tall at end of summer before trimming down to 6ft. 

 73/ blackhaw, Viburnum prunifolium (native)

I forget its existence. Seedling tree still not producing yet ~3-4yo. Shares pot with ramps. I fertilized it once to see if it would flower this year. No joy. No water than nature. Tolerates squirrels digging in pot. No pests noticed. Tolerant of high winds. Easy. 

 74/ American hazelnut, Corylus americana 

The nursery didn’t have the cultivar (Winkler) I wanted until late May so these got planted late (mid-June, after hardening-off from shipping). They didn’t grow much but already have large leaf buds for next year. They’re rooted cuttings but are likely too small to flower next year. Only watered to establish and gave some seedling fert.  Currently sheltered and planted small native plant seeds around it so can’t report on wind-tolerance. 

 75/ American spikenard, Aralia racemosa 

The Japanese spikenard has edible stems in spring. I tried young stems of this and they were too thin and fibrous to do anything. But the leaves are edible. They taste faintly of mint with some anise and lettuce flavor. Leaves have some inedible fibers. The plants are caged to protect from squirrels and share pot with small native wildflowers. No water more than nature, I fertilized to see if it would flower/fruit this year. No joy. Got roots last fall. 

 76/ Yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria

Related to matcha tea plant from Argentina. Mine are a wild, tree-forming type not a cultivated dwarf-type. I forget they exist. I don’t water them and only fertilized them to get established. They share a pot with boko spinach. They’re too small to do anything with at the moment but I have plans to test out recipes next year. Survive high winds. Raw leaves are spinach-y and a bit pungent, only good dried. 

 78/ Solanum corymbiflora and abutiloides

Very easy to grow and pest resistant Solanums, seem to weather high winds well. Leaves and stems blow with the wind w/o tearing too much. My dwarf tamarillos taste like sugary battery acid. C is supposed to taste like 🍍. Both can tolerate a bit of dry. C is not self-fertile. It’s supposed to fruit in fall but I don’t see flowers yet, tolerates temps down to 17F. Ab down to freezing. Ab is not a heavy fruiter, isn’t really worth the space it takes up. 

 79/ Prunus angustifolia, Chickasaw plum

Native fruit tree. I forget it exists. It was too small to fruit last year, maybe next year. It shares a pot with blue lobelia and partridge berry. No pests detected. Grown in full sun. Tolerates high winds ok. Gets only rain water, but I give fert and some compost in spring bc I want to try the fruit. When the fruit ripens, it looks like a party on a tree, it’s so colorful. 

 80/ early Richmond pie cherry

I forget this tree exists. Only gets rainwater, shares pot with beans and dwarf pok choi. It flowered last spring but was too young to fruit this year. Maybe next year. It will get fert and compost next spring. No pests noticed but cherries do get rust. Affected branches must be removed immediately. 

 81/ pomegranate 

I have wonderful and white (grown from seed). Wonderful, I bought from a garden store three years ago and it still hasn’t fruited, but it has produced a couple flowers. The white pomegranate is almost 3 years old. I don’t water either of them. I do give a little fertilizer in the spring in hopes that it might flower and fruit, but no joy. Both are in heavy wind areas and tolerate tropical storms/hurricanes fine. I plant beans next to them. 

 82/ blueberries 

The only way you’re going to get blueberries is if you cage them. The cage needs to be 1 cm x 1 cm heavy duty wire. Birds get caught in nets and they will dive bomb the netted bush to get at the fruit. Blueberries tolerate hurricanes fine. Mine only get rainwater, but I do set compost down in the early spring. If you have a late/freak frost or too early blooms and then a frost, cover with bedsheet and then tie down w/ plastic tarp to protect flowers or forming fruit. 

 83/ self-fertile cold hardy kiwi, Actinidia arguta Issai 

I just got the vines this summer and they grew robustly. They tolerated the tropical storms without damage and didn’t suffer in extreme heat. A friend grows these locally and reports that if you want a lot of fruit, you need to give it a lot of water. No pests noticed. 

 84/ Chinese olive, Canarium album

Pili nut relative, can tolerate a few degrees below freezing. Just got the seeds this summer. Don’t use industrial vice to crack pods, just do wet paper towel in plastic bag method on warm-mat. Leaves get torn up in high winds. Dioecious but will try trunk-fusing 4 seedlings. Nuts are tasty besides the olive. Shares pot with bloody dock. Tolerates extreme heat well. No pests noticed yet. 

 85/ guomi, Elaeagnus multiflora

I forget about this plant. It grows in a pot outside all year with Lobelia cardinalis. I grew it from seed three years ago and it hasn’t fruited yet. It gets fresh compost in the spring. It grows well, no pests detected. It only gets rainwater. It’s somewhat sheltered from high wind but seems to be fine. No stress from high heat. 

 86/ Okinawa and longevity spinach, Gyruna bicolor and procumbens

An acquired taste. Leaves are a little thick, slightly waxy, a little mucosal and a bit pungently spinach-y. Only gets extra water if very dry. Does need a bit of fertilizer to produce well. Does not do well in hurricanes: branches stripped of leaves. Cut back in late fall and bring inside if temps dip below freezing. Gets aphids badly indoors but not outdoors so I don’t recommend growing this in zones colder than 8 East Coast. 

 87/ Detarium senegalense and Lycium ruthenicum

DEAD, much sadness. 

Sweet detar needs to be planted in the ground bc it produces a very deep woody taproot. It will coil in the pot and die. I tried bonsai method of trimming the taproot on seedlings and they still died. Sad. It is a beautiful tree. 

Black goji berry: climate here is too wet. It got washed out and died even though I mixed soil so it had a lot of perlite and sand. Also prone to aphids and gets wind-damaged. 

 88/ Sacha inchi nut and clove bean, Plukenetia volubilis Ipomoea muricata

I can’t judge these two bc they have been throughly brutalized this summer. Arborists took down a dying tree and pulled the wire cage they were trellising on and so ripped up the plants. Then they survived two tropical storms. At most, they are resilient but whether the season is long enough to ripen fruit is another question. Keep away from high winds and protect from freezing. Gets thrips indoors. Pest-free outdoors.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/150/948/756/781/591/original/e29fdc55af120e48.jpeg 

 89/ Red Hopi amaranth 

I grow this every year, it’s so beautiful. It needs to be caged to protect from bunnies. I also grow it in pots with tropical trees bc terrestrial insects chew down seedlings. Bc of this predation, I don’t get enough to use the seeds as a dye. I just use the leaves. 

They have survived hurricanes. They might lean a bit but rebound well. They can tolerate a bit of dry and do well in extreme heat. Full sun but will still flower in part sun.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/155/641/459/301/444/original/0be1a1533f51d07b.jpeg 

 90/ elderberry 

Does anyone know what species this might be? I got it from a friend. It survived two tropical storms, squirrels digging and uprooting and extreme heat. I keep it in part shade but not sheltered from wind. It’s a trooper of a plant.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/155/769/214/859/690/original/b05dcd564aa5e17d.jpeg

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/155/769/410/135/576/original/b6ad67e49a687a93.jpeg 

 91/ shungiku, yu choi, tatsoi

Spring ‘22 I planted shungiku in late April and plants grew thin with tiny leaves and reached less than a foot before bolting. So I tried planting them in late March. They bolted at six inches and almost no leaves. 

Last fall, I planted yu choi in October. It grew two inches before they produced wispy little flowers. Tatsoi in December faired only a little better. 

I give up.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/160/687/042/314/741/original/a1218d8a8335db4c.jpeg 

 93/ Look everyone! I managed to keep a wasabi root alive outside all summer. (Two days with 100+F heat.) I hid it behind some trees with shade netting. The plant grew two leaves and they are really bug eaten (slugs or millipedes). I’m moving it into part-shade here to see if I can get more growth before winter. 

I don’t recommend this plant. It usually can’t tolerate temps above 80F. I keep it in soil that is 35% perlite and it needs lots of moisture but can’t sit in water. Pest magnet.

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/167/216/995/618/202/original/7e1f055ac9d78425.jpeg 

 94/ Lansium domesticum, langsat 

This is a two year old plant. I do not recommend growing it if you don’t live in an ultra tropical location and can provide it year-round warmer than 70° F. Just a couple months of 50F and this is what it looks like. It will die back each winter but keep a couple leaves. I’ve talked with other more experienced tropical fruit growers in northern climates, and they have the same experience or worse. ☠️

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/173/237/105/808/872/original/359421b57b0940d0.jpeg 

 95/ Uvaria chamame, bush banana (related to Annonas)

This has fruit that looks like a bunch of bananas. It struggles to thrive bc it comes from central Africa and wants year-round around tropical weather. This is a nearly 2 yro plant and it’s only looking pretty good this year. I will persist but I don’t recommend trying it unless you can give it ultra-tropical conditions. Otherwise it’s relatively pest free. I also grew the African wild custard apple but it died from 🥶 (winter 50’sF).

https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/111/173/288/832/354/100/original/381e3a9d975c0317.jpeg